Judy Christenberry - The Christmas Cowboy

She tried some of the nachos and found them delicious.

They ate in silence, Hank wolfing down three times as much as she did. When only one chip remained, he said, “You want that?”

“No, thanks. You go ahead.”

He didn’t hesitate. Scooping up the chip, he ate it in one bite.

She marveled at his appetite. “Will you be able to eat your steak?” she asked.

His brow knit as he looked at her. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I just thought that after you…Never mind. I guess that was a dumb question.”

Their meals arrived then and she sighed when she saw the huge, thick steak.

“I’ll never be able to eat all that,” she said, giving voice to her thoughts. “That’s more than I eat in two dinners back in New York.”

The cowboy’s eyes raked over her face and neck, breasts and waist. “You could use some meat on your bones.”

“Excuse me?” she sputtered.

“Trust me. Once you’re in the saddle all day, you’ll eat everything that’s put in front of you.”

The man wasn’t only rude, Andrea thought. He was downright crazy.

HANK COULDN’T BELIEVE the woman was sleeping while they were driving through the most beautiful countryside in the world. They were coming down the mountain, the picturesque town of Steamboat Springs lying just below them.

She’d fallen asleep about half an hour after leaving Denver. He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t snuck a look at her. It was obvious he hadn’t needed to worry about her chattering nonstop.

At lunch, what little talking they’d done had made him think they spoke different languages. Sometimes she made sense, but other times he had no idea what she was talking about.

But he’d made a promise to be polite. And he’d tried. It was certainly easier now that she was asleep.

Taking liberties, he snatched glances at her as he drove. Her wavy hair curved around high cheekbones, and rosy lips were set in a pout. His eyes roamed lower, to her full breasts and slender waist, exposed now that she’d removed her coat in the warm car. Her manicured hands rested on her lap. And her legs…long and shapely, just the way he liked ‘em.

No, he told himself. Do not go there.

Andrea Jacobs might be beautiful, with curves in all the right places, but she was not the woman for him. Besides, he had lots of women in Steamboat Springs, ones he could understand. He didn’t need a city slicker with an attitude—no matter how gorgeous she was.

“Where are we?”

The voice startled him and he wrenched his attention from her legs back to the road.

“Steamboat Springs,” he said in a husky voice. He cleared his throat, pretending boredom. “The ranch is about fifteen minutes outside of town.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d sleep that long.”

“Not a problem.” He didn’t tell her that her nap had given him a chance to check out her lovely body.

She sat up and looked out the window. “This seems like a nice town. Not as big as I thought it would be, though.”

“It has everything we need.” His voice sounded perturbed, even to his own ears.

“I didn’t mean anything by that,” she was quick to explain. “It’s just that…well, in comparison to New York, everything looks small.”

“Really?” Hank said sarcastically.

“Mr. Ledbetter, I did not mean to insult your town.”

“So you’d rather insult me?”

She crossed her arms, which only brought his attention back to her ample bosom.

He looked the other way before she caught him. He didn’t think she’d appreciate his interest.

THE LAZY L LOOMED ahead of her, looking like a picture postcard. Nestled against the Rocky Mountains, the two-story ranch house, barn and numerous outbuildings wrapped in a split-rail fence were just what Andrea had expected.

Hank pulled the Lexus up to the main entrance. Before he could come around and open her door, she was out of the car, eager to meet her other hosts.

“This is beautiful,” she said, looking around her.

“Yeah,” Hank agreed, and she realized that was the first statement from her he didn’t argue with.

He moved to the trunk to get her bags at the same time as the front door opened and a couple came out, followed by two Labrador puppies.

The young woman approached, her hand outstretched in greeting. “I’m Jessica Bradford. Welcome to the Lazy L.”

“And I’m Jim Bradford. I spoke to you on the phone.”

Andrea shook their hands. “You certainly have a lovely place.”

“Thank you,” Jessica said. “We’ll leave your bags for the men to bring in. Let’s get inside where it’s warm.” She whistled to the dogs, who followed obediently.

The house was everything Andrea thought it would be. Warm and rustic with western accents.

“Let’s go into the living room. Jim built a fire and I made some treats for us.”

“That’s so nice of you. But your brother stopped at a restaurant on the way. I’m afraid I couldn’t eat another bite.”

“Hank will, though,” Jessica said in a mock whisper. “In case you didn’t notice, he’s a bottomless pit.”

Andrea laughed, and realized she felt comfortable for the first time since getting off the plane.

Everything was going to be fine, she told herself. She needn’t worry. Jessica was friendly and the ranch was beautiful. The Lazy L was going to be the perfect place to learn to ride and put her plan into action.

Now all she had to do was steer clear of Mr. Sourpuss.

Andrea sat down on one of the sofas. “I’m eager to get started with my lessons,” she began. “Can you introduce me to the cowboy who’ll be my teacher?”

Jessica shot her a puzzled look. “Didn’t Hank tell you? He’s your teacher.”

Andrea felt her spirit fall like a boulder through water. She nearly sputtered when she tried to speak. “Wha…I…” She gave up.

“Is something wrong, Andrea?” her gracious hostess asked.

Wrong? Other than the fact that she was about to spend the next month with that grizzly bear of a man, what could be wrong?

Jessica’s face fell. “Oh, no!” she cried. “What did he do?”

Andrea forced her mind to focus. Though she made a mental list of every one of Hank’s offenses, she said nothing because Jim and the man himself walked in.

“So,” Jim Bradford said. “Did you enjoy the trip from the airport?”

Before Andrea could reply, Hank spoke up. “She slept the whole way. Missed all that pretty scenery.”

Jessica nearly gasped. “But surely you could understand, Hank. Miss Jacobs must have been up at the crack of dawn for her flight.” Her eyes flashed at her brother.

Hank shrugged. “She didn’t tell me that.” He didn’t hide his annoyance.

Andrea caught the look he shot her from under partly closed lids, and she wanted to scream. Surely there was another riding instructor at the ranch. There was no way she could spend a month with this irritating, stubborn boor.

Jim stepped forward and defused the situation. He smiled as he sat next to his wife. “So, Andrea, we’re happy to have you. Have you ever been on a horse before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Hank let out an audible groan.

She ignored him. “But I can be taught, right?”

Jim nodded. “Hank’s a great teacher for an untrained rider.”

“What brings you all the way to Colorado for riding lessons?” Hank asked from the doorway. He’d refused to sit. “No stables in New York?”

“As I told your brother-in-law on the phone I want to ride like a cowboy.”

“We’ll see. After all, I only have a month.”

“I’m a quick study, Mr. Ledbetter.”

He gave her a level look. “Again, we’ll see.” Then his gaze locked with hers. “Are there a lot of cowboys in New York City for you to ride with?”